The principal highlights ofThe ISO Survey of Certifications – 2009are that ISO 9001, the global benchmark for quality management, has topped one million certifications, and that certifications to ISO 22000:2005 for food safety management systems, and to ISO/IEC 27001:2005 for information security management systems have rocketed.

ISO comments in the introduction to the survey that the 8 % increase in ISO 9001 certificates, compared with the 3 % increase in 2008, “confirms the importance of ISO 9001 in the global supply chains and as the pioneering model on which subsequent management system standards have been built and flourish”.

The increasing importance organizations give to information security was demonstrated by the 40 % increase in ISO/IEC 27001 certifications which reached 12 934 in 117 countries.

ISO Secretary-General Rob Steele comments: “Each year, the release of the latest ISO Survey is an eagerly awaited event as the primary source of information on the importance of ISO’s management system standards to the global economy. For the first time, the new edition is being published on a CD-ROM containing Excel files of the surveys from the first in 1993 up to the end of 2009. Making this data available in one place will facilitate comparison and extrapolation and make the survey an even more useful business tool.”

1993 to 2009 figures

For the first time, ISO is making the survey available on a CD-ROM in Excel files covering 1993 to 2009, which allows comparisons since the survey was launched.

ISO 9001

ISO 9001 (certifications to 2000 and 2008 editions cumulated) which gives the requirements for quality management systems, is now firmly established as the globally implemented standard for providing assurance about the ability to satisfy quality requirements and to enhance customer satisfaction in supplier-customer relationships.

Up to the end of December 2009, at least 1 064 785 ISO 9001 (2000 and 2008) certificates had been issued in 178 countries and economies. The 2009 total represents an increase of 81 953 (+ 8 %) over 2008, when the total was 982 832 in 176 countries and economies.

ISO 14001:2004

ISO 14001:2004, which gives the requirements for environmental management systems, retains its global relevance for organizations wishing to operate in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Up to the end of December 2009, at least 223 149 ISO 14001:2004 certificates had been issued in 159 countries and economies. Annual growth is stabilized at almost the same level as in 2008 – 34 334 in 2009, compared to 34 242 in 2008, when the total was 188 815 in 155 countries and economies.

ISO/TS 16949

ISO/TS 16949 (certifications to 2002 and 2009 editions cumulated) gives the requirements for the application of ISO 9001:2000 by suppliers in the automotive sector. Up to the end of December 2009, at least 41 240 ISO/TS 16949:2002 certificates had been issued in 83 countries and economies.

ISO 13485:2003

ISO 13485:2003 gives quality management requirements for the medical device sector for regulatory purposes. Up to the end of December 2009, at least 16 424 ISO 13485:2003 certificates had been issued in 90 countries and economies. The 2009 total represents an increase of 3 190 (+ 24 %) over 2008 when the total was 13 234 in 88 countries and economies.

ISO/IEC 27001:2005

ISO/IEC 27001:2005 gives the requirements for information security management systems. At the end of 2009, at least 12 934 ISO/IEC 27001:2005 certificates had been issued in 117 countries and economies. The 2009 total represents an increase of 3 688 (+ 40 %) over 2008 when the total was 9 246 in 82 countries and economies.

ISO 22000:2005

ISO 22000:2005 gives the requirements for food safety management systems. Up to the end of December 2009, at least 13 881 ISO 22000:2005 certificates had been issued in 127 countries and economies. The 2009 total represents an increase of 5 675 (+ 69 %) over 2008 when the total was 8 206 in 112 countries and economies.

Survey on CD-ROM

ISO makes available the principal findings of the survey free of charge on the ISO Website. More information, including industry sector breakdowns, can be found in The ISO Survey of Certifications – 2009, on a CD-ROM. It is available from ISO national member institutes (see the complete list with contact details).

It may also be obtained directly from the ISO Central Secretariat, price 50 Swiss francs, through the ISO Store or by contacting the Marketing, Communication and Information department (see right-hand column).

Note to Editors

Certification of conformity is not a requirement of the ISO standards themselves, which can be implemented without certification for the benefits that they help user organizations to achieve for themselves and for their customers. Nevertheless, many thousands of organizations have chosen certification because of the perception that an independent confirmation of conformity adds value.

ISO itself does not perform certification to its standards, does not issue certificates and does not control certification performed independently of ISO by other organizations. However, it frequently receives requests for information on the number of certificates and this led the organization to undertake The ISO Survey. ISO provides the basic results free of charge as a public information service.